John Hardie, Rory Hughes and Stuart McInally to earn first Scotland caps

There is nearly an entirely new pack from the side that started the 28-22 loss to Ireland in Dublin last weekend, with seven new forwards and four changes in the backs.

Instead, it was Allan who nudged Italy in front for the first time with another penalty.

Rory Hughes, New Zealand-born Hardie, Stuart McInally, Damien Hoyland and Willem Nel all claimed their first caps but the reality is that most will not add to their tally when the action begins next month.

Richie Vernon keeps his place at outside-centre, meanwhile, with Matt Scott alongside him.

Elsewhere, British and Irish Lions lock Richie Gray comes in to partner captain Grant Gilchrist, while Hardie is joined in the back row by Alasdair Strokosch and Adam Ashe. Those early signs of Italian rust had gone and some neat interplay behind the scrum belied the absence Sergio Parisse, for so long their standard bearer, through illness.

McInally has made one appearance for Scotland as a replacement – in the back row against South Africa in 2012 – but he will rubber-stamp his switch to hooker as he lines up between props Gordon Reid and Mike Cusack. “But he can play in the World Cup”.

Duncan Weir’s last-gasp drop goal against Italy past year was the highlight of his career so far – but the Scotland stand-off is determined it will not be his only moment to remember. “I’m feeling strong, I’m feeling fit – I feel like my rugby has come on a hell of a lot in the past two months, just training in this high-intensity environment”.

Not that a close result isn’t appreciated for its tension value, but Italy and Scotland again showed on Saturday that of all the Tier 1 nations, they still sit some way off contending with the big guns of the sport. After a number of phases down the left the replacement Martin Castrogiovanni was adjudged to have been held up by Doyle – who chose not to consult the TMO – in a let-off for Scotland.

Vern Cotter’s side had lost every match they had played in 2015 but substitute scrum-half Henry Pyrgos’s try five minutes from the end of the World Cup warm-up clash at the Olympic Stadium was enough to finally get them on the board.